Ratchet wrench and tool



l. A. THOMPSON.

RATcHET WRENCH Aun TooL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2.6, I921- Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

UNITED srArEsj Arai JAMES ARTHUR rHoiviPso'N,` OrnusrrvILL'E, ILLINOIS. v Y

RATOHET Wannen AND Troon.

To all whom t may coacera: A Y.

Be it known-that I, JAMES AARTHUR THOMPSON, a citizen ofthe United ',States, 4residing at Rushville, in the county of Schuyler and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ratchet `Wrenches land. Tools, of which the Yfollowing is a specification.A

My present invention relates `to ratchet wrenches or tools, and has specialv reference to the provision-of a ratchet wrench'ortool which will besuitable for'use' iny taking offf and putting on the cap of a .1'11'1rnberfourl connecting rod'of a; Ford-automobile7 One. who is familiar with thatiportionv ot-the` structure of a Ford automobile will know that the spacek available torr'operationsv is restricted and that-therefis very little room in which vto swing thehandle ot they wrench.

In designing' this tool, VI have provided a structure in which the ratchet teeth and `the -dogs orrpawls may both'be madeY comparatively large, .thereby greatly increasing the strength andwearability ofthe tool and at the/samev time I have produced atoo'l whichwill function or ratchet with a much l I shorter swing of' the Wrench handle.A I

have also provideda tool which the parts are few `and of large vsize and vwhich theepa-rts may be easily and'v eifectively re- Il. connection with theratchetl dogs orfpawls,V

*versed lto ratchet ,in either direction.

I have Vvprovided a single spring which may be so adjusted as to control therelative action of' spring upon the respectivef'dogs or pawls. I have also provided astructure in whichV the `fassembly'and disassembly of the parts is simplied'and facilitated so as to economize in the original cost ofproduc;L

tion and permit of an easy replacement or substitution of parts; VVVhile-rny wrench has been particularly designed for use inl removing and replacing the capl of a number fourconnecting rod of a Ford automobile, itV maybe used to advantage in any situation and be madein any size or shape in which i ratchets may be required;

ture shownl in Figure l'. Figure 2; is, a bottom end of my wrench.

specification of `Lettere Patent. Patente I havev attained the above mentioned `rie-v VFigure' 2 is aside `elevation of the 4 struoplan of the ratchet:

ratchetteeth l.in a different position.

in yFigure 6,-but with the'pawls or dogs andl d Apr. Y18, 1922. Application mea september as, 1921. 'V'setierrref 503,23i.4

Similar-reference charactersfrfer to lar parts throughoutl there's fpecti'veviews.V

My! wrench consists of ahandl'e portion: '10, vone end of which-"is slightly enlarged and transversely bored, at 11, from Jfront to back tofprovide` .a"]b'earing1 for. 'a ratchet y e.

Cilnldl 12;. the OPPSteen'dof the handl portion being off-set, Vasiat 13,ffor Ygreater convenience in Vconnection with its Ydest'qned` use kupon, aFord' automobile.`Y Ther `.foii'eset portion-may alsobe conveniently extended and cut outito formv an open-end wrench, as

at 14, but neither thefOiCf-set portiong'nor.` the Open-end wrench"are`essential elements,

of myv invention.V

sof

hearing ,fore-the' ratchet"cylinderis longitu- Y l dinally bored, fasatl, to provide a' housing forA the pawls or dogs, andfthefinner end V` ofi the; bore is reduuced,V as' at `l6,`fforseating/fa spring which elements are tol bejherein-A r after described. IA transverse slot 17 is cut from the back of the handleinto the bordel 15; said slot being extended longitudinally of the bore toward the adjacent end of the handle to for-m a ,shoulder 18 which funcwhich is of a form to -circumferentially Y 'Y ,todo

complete the cylinder.. Pawl or dog 19'is also bored Vfrom its inner end,`as at`21f`fwell` up into vthe cut away portions. Pawl/2O is I longitudinally 'slotted for. a "portiont of.. its

length, las Y at 22, andthroughfthis slotv ex-f tendsway ratchet reversing arm 23 whichv is screwed or Otherwise `secured in a; hole 24:,

provided in bore in thefinner end of pawl or dog19by which'` theconvolutions Vof a helical spring 261nay be screwed, o' y,' Ihevnner en of Spring Y the surface ormedby 'the c'l'l'rt-r Y e ting away o fpawl 19, as above described. 1

A pin 25 is provided transversely oftheiio Y 26 seats in the reduced portion 1G of the longitudinal bore` in` the handle, andthe forward end of spring 26 operates against the inner end of pawl or dog 20. llt will be understood that the portion of spring 26 which extends between itsl seat inthe lower reduced end 16 of bore 15 and vpin 25 will exert its power against dog or pawl'19, while the portion of spring 26 which extends between pin 25 and the rear end of dog or pawl 20 will exertv its pressure upon the dog or pawl 20 andv backwardly against pin 25. Thus, by screwing spring 26 to a greater or less extent beyond pin 25 prior to installing the dogs and spring within the housing any desired differential between the action of the respective dogs or pawls may be secured with a single spring. The forward ends of both pawls or dogs 19. and 2O are beveled in the same ydirectiomas at 27 and 2S. so that they may successively retract and Aengage the samerratchet tooth on their for.-

ward faces when the handle of the' wrench cannot be swung back far enough to engage a new tooth, thereby greatly rreducing the extent of the swing necessary to cause the ratchet to function .and permitting both ratchet teeth and dogs to be made of substantial size. lVhile two. pawls have been illustrated and described herein, it is obvious thatv more than this number may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Y The Vdogs or pawls 19 and 2O being sections of a single cylinder, may be rotated in bore 15 by moving the ratchet reversing arm 23 from one end to the other offslot 17'v at which positions the longitudinal slots permit thedogs to move forward into operative positions, while, if for anyreason it is desired to throw the dogs or pawls entirely out of opera-tion, the ratchet reversing arm may be le-ft in an intermediate portion of slot 1T. For the purpose of preventing the rotation ofV the dogs from tending to rotate spring 26 with relation to the. dogs and thereby disturbing its adjustment, l have extended an end thereof centrally .of the kcoil of the spring thereby reducingsurfaceV contact and', fri`-tion. y

The ratchet cylinder 12 is preferably provided with a portion of suitable dimensions to Et bearing 11` and in he surf-ace of this portion'are provided longitudinal channels for the purpose of providing the ratchet teeth 12. One end of the ratchet cylinder is enlarged, as at 12b, to'form a shoulder abutting'the end of bearingll, and an annular groove or channel is provided at the other endiinto which is sprung a split ring 12c to retain the cylinder in its hearing- To facilitate the assembly and dissembly of the split ring and also to facilitate the insertion of the cylinder into its bearing when.. through inadvertance, theV 'dogs or pawls engagement maybe given this member without in any way varying the application of the principles of my invention.v

That l claim as new is: 1. A ratchet tool comprising a handle, a toothed cylinder provided with work engaging means revolubly mounted in said handle,

thesame direction so 'as to successively enn` gage the teeth of said cylinder.

v2. A ratchet tool comprising a hand-le, a toothed cylinderprovided with work engaging means revolubly mounted in said handle,

alil'ongitudinall;7 divided cylinder mountedy convenient configuration for work or tool Y Y and a plurality of pawls carried by said handle and beveled at their` outer endsr inv in said handle endwise with respect to the periphery of' said toothed cylinder. the ends of they vdivisions of said divided cylinder be# ing beveled 1n the sanie'direction so as to successively engage said teeth', and means` foreffecting a semi-rotation of said divided cylinder. 3. In a ratchet tool a plurahty'ot Pawle,

one whereof is cylindrical in shape and longitudinally cut away for a portion ofy itsv length, the remaining pawl .or pawls formed to circnmferentially complete the cylindrical outline of saidi first mentioned pawl and hav- Y ing longitudinal movement relative thereto;` said first mentioned pawl being axially,` Y bored from its opposite end into said eut] away portion, a projection extending into saidwbore, and a helical spring adaptedy toenter said bore and be rotated to canse certain. of the convolutions thereof to pass said projection.

1l. In a ratchet tool a ilalurality of pa-wle, one whereof is cylindrical in shape and longitudinally cut away a portion of its length, the remaining pawl or pawlsformed to circumferential--y complete the cylindrical outline of said firstnmentioned pawl and having` longitudinal movement relative thereto; said first mentioned pawl being axially boredl from its opposite end into said cutv away portion. a projection extending into said bore. a helical4 spring` adapted to enter said bore and be rotated to cause certain of the convolutions thereof to pass saidQprojfection; said spring being axially extended to form a seat Jfor the end opposite its en of'entry into said pawl. l

5. In a ratchet tool comprising a handle having a bearing for a cylinder therein. a pawl carried by said handle and extending into said bearing, a toothed-cylinder adapted to enter said bearing and having a segment 1,413,243 v l Y ,l j 1 l 8 of the entering end thereof beveled so as to cause the retraction. ot said pawl upon the entry of said cylinder into said bearing. v

6. In a ratchet tool comprising a handle having` a bearingfor a cylinder therein, a cylinder adapted to extend through Said bearing having a circumferential groove upon the portion of said cylinder which extends through and beyond said bearing, and a split ring adapted to be sprung into said groove, a segment upon the grooved end of said cylinder being beveled torfacilitate the application and removal of Saidring.

7. A ratchet tool comprising a handlepa toothed cylinder provided with work engaging means revolubly mounted in said handle,

a longitudinally divided element mounted o in said handle endwise -with respect to the periphery of said toothed cylinder, the ends, of the divisions of said divided'element being so beveled in the same direction as toV successively retract and'engage said teeth on their forward surfaces.

S. A ratchet tool comprising 'a handle, a toothed cylinder provided with worlienga'ging means revolubly mounted in said handle,

and a plurality of pawls carriedV byjsaid'- handle and arranged so that-their 4end portions will successively engage the teeth of said cylinder.

' Y 9. In a ratchet tool a plurality ot' pawls arranged thereinin longitudinal juxtaposition. .f n n v `Signed at Rushville', county of Schuyler, 1

tion, alpin secured to and projecting laterally from one of said'pawls, the'otherV of said pawls being longitudinally slotted to accommodate said pin, whereby said pawls may be rotated simultaneously by said pin l and are capable of independent Successive longitudinal movement.

tion, one of said pawls provided with a lateral element, and a spiral spring between the convolutions of which said lateral element extends and one end of which spring abuts the other of said pawls, whereby the rotation of said spring adjusts the tension exerted thereby upon the respective pawls.

1l. In a ratchet tool a plurality of pawls arranged therein Vin longitudinal juxtaposi- .50 tion,and a single spring element engaging said :pawlsV and adjustable to- Vcontrollthej.,

tension exerted upon each of saidpawls re- `spectively. j" Y' l p s n l2. A ratchet mechanism including a plu# v55 rality of pawls forming ,together a; cylinder f with their operativeA faces parallel sopas to4V be capable ofsuccessive.` independent longi tudinal movement and.` simultaneous" rotaand state oflllinois,A this29th day of Au-f gust, 1921. Y'

i JAMESARTHUR jjnOMPSON Q f 

